MUMBAI: With the set-top boxes (STBs) seeded and the majority of the customer application forms (CAFs) collected, the cable TV industry is busy searching for the magic formula that will enable them to reap the benefits of digitisation by way of higher average revenue per user (ARPU).

The biggest hindrance in the way of growing ARPU is the ongoing tussle between the multi-system operators (MSOs) and the local cable operators (LCOs) over customer billing and revenue sharing.

TelevisionPost.com has launched a unique on-ground initiative called GroundPost. The idea is to get the key stakeholders in the value chain—regulator, broadcaster, MSO, LCO and technology vendor—on a common platform to discuss and deliberate on the way forward to monetise digitisation.

Beginning this month, GroundPost will traverse the length and breadth of the country through multiple events in different cities to bring together the stakeholders in those markets.

The first of the 12 scheduled events will be held on 29 April in Solapur, Maharashtra. An estimated 300 delegates are expected to attend the event, including broadcasters, MSOs, technology vendors and LCOs.

“GroundPost is an event that was carefully conceptualised after discussions with several stakeholders in the industry. The stakeholders were unanimous about the crying need for a knowledge forum like this wherein all the participants could come on a single platform and deliberate on issues that are critical to the success of digitisation,” TelevisionPost.com co-founder and CEO Himanshu Dhoreliya said.

“We will be conducting a series of events across India in the coming months and we are confident that these events will go a long way in making digitisation a success that will benefit everyone in the value chain. We are overwhelmed by the amazing response we have got for our inaugural event in Solapur. We also appreciate the support provided by our sponsors Colors, Rishtey, Cisco, BRIDS and FoodFood,” he added.

The Solapur event will see a host of speakers present their views in different sessions such as ‘Lessons to learn from the first two phases of digitisation’, ‘Economics of laying the digital infrastructure’, ‘Digitisation: Ground issues and the road forward’, and ‘How to raise ARPUs’.

The event will also see TelevisionPost.com release its preliminary research findings on the Solapur market. The full report will be put up on the site in early May.

“We could have taken up the easy option of kick-starting our events initiative in bigger cities like Mumbai and Delhi. But we decided to go the grassroots way. For the editorial team, it will be a discovery route. The idea is to gather multiple voices and reflect diverse business models that exist across the country. This is a challenging task for us and we hope to enrich our research findings with a bottom-up approach,” said TelevisionPost.com co-founder and editor-in-chief Sibabrata Das.